Game 43: MIN vs MEM

[WolfAddict]

Losing basketball? We are above .500.

Are you that blinded? Its more about how they are playing while barely being above .500.

BE BETTER, KLOMP.

I think it's largely a factor of how the NBA is these days. You have three or four teams at the very top of the league during the regular season that are better than everyone. Then you have a group of 10-15 teams within only a few games that can beat each other on any given night. Then you have the rest of the league.

In 2021-22, we were in the second group. The mood was relatively optimistic within the fan base despite some frustrating outcomes from game to game. The postseason showed serious flaws that needed to be addressed.
In 2022-23, we were in the second group. The mood was relatively pessimistic within the fan base after making a contentious trade, even though on the surface it was supposed to address those flaws.
In 2023-24, we thought we were in the top group. Life was pretty great. But then the postseason was a humbling experience as there were serious flaws that needed to be addressed.
In 2024-25, we are in the second group again. The mood is relatively pessimistic within the fan base after again making a contentious trade, even though on the surface the trade was supposed to address those flaws.

Agree with all but the bolded - I honestly feel as a fan, the WCF loss wasn't humbling as such, it was educational - We knew where we needed to improve, and the FO started looking at moves to address the flaws - They just made an astronomically bad move which did more damage than rectification.

I will add that hindsight is 20/20 so this is all easy for us to say about past decisions. But we're fans, it's what we do.

[TimberKat]

Good post, guest.

Yeah, I’m not really sure I understand Ant either. In the press conferences, even as a rookie, he would give lots of praise to his teammates when they won, and talk about how much he trusts all of them, especially Jaden McDaniels. And for years, you have heard him take the blame when they lose, often repeating Finch’s mantra about the ball getting “sticky” with him.

And to his credit, most of the time, in most games, Ant is a willing passer. He still has a lot to learn as a playmaker, but most of the time he will pass out of double teams. Unfortunately, every so often, you can just see that he gets in a mindset that he’s not going to pass. This happens most frequently when the team falls behind, and at ends of games. And when he faces one of his idols.

So why haven’t we seen progress this year? I used to wonder if it was going from Towns to Randle. KAT was always a willing passer, even if he wasn’t very good at it, and you know he would rather set others up to help the team. Ant is very impressionable, and I think he tried to emulate Towns when Randle got here, telling him, “you be you - we’ll all adapt.” Since Randle didn’t know his teammates or the system very well, maybe Ant got worried if he passed the ball, it wouldn’t get back to him? I’ve lately come to doubt that theory, since Randle was getting assists right from the start, and seems to be a very willing passer, better than KAT. I also think it’s too easy for us fans to just blame Randle for anything.

Now, I think this just might be Ant’s 23 year old ego getting the better of him. Jordan didn’t trust his teammates at 23 either. Also, Ant has done this his whole career, but maybe it’s just more obvious because we are losing some games because of it. If Ant really wants to be great, he needs to learn that you don’t always have to take the last shot. You need your team to win.

Watch on YouTube

Ant has been playing this way even in college. It's not one bad Three but 3 bad Threes in the last two minutes. We had more around him before. DLo or Towns could take the shot, now is point Ant which amplifies the issue.

[Baseline81]

Agree with all but the bolded - I honestly feel as a fan, the WCF loss wasn't humbling as such, it was educational - We knew where we needed to improve, and the FO started looking at moves to address the flaws - They just made an astronomically bad move which did more damage than rectification.

I will add that hindsight is 20/20 so this is all easy for us to say about past decisions. But we're fans, it's what we do.

The issue, though, is it's not hindsight. I, along with others, clearly saw this coming as soon as news of Towns being traded broke.

But yes, what you wrote in the first paragraph is true. As I've stated numerous times, there's no reason, other than financial, to come out of last season and trade the team's second best player, especially when you see what the package was in return.

It will go down as one of the worst decisions/trades in this franchise's history. And it is mindboggling as to why anyone would even attempt to defend it.

[Baseline81]

Ant has been playing this way even in college. It's not one bad Three but 3 bad Threes in the last two minutes. We had more around him before. DLo or Towns could take the shot, now is point Ant which amplifies the issue.

Here's the thing, Towns was the bigger brother to Edwards. Do you not recall all the post-game pressers during the playoffs?

And now that Towns is gone, there is no one that fills that void. As a result, Edwards feels it's solely his team, whereas, it was the combination of the two (Towns was the now while Edwards the future).

[TimberKat]

Dilly had a great game and I actually has no problem with Finch pull him. He played 17 mins which is close to his limit right now. I think 20 mins is the most you want to play him.

[FrenchMinnyFan]

ANT BBIQ is pretty low. As long as Finch does not make a huge job of improving that, he will remain a 30% clutch guy. Happy tonight by Rob, play well and make others players involved.
ANT last 3 min were just awful, TO, brick 3..... and our second star is Randle . If we make the play-in we will be lucky. As i say for weeks, if no trade coming, we are at best a play-in with 2nd round potential play-off if lucky....
TC make 2 huge mistakes, Trading KAT for Randle and resign Rudy.... hope his EGO don't make him blind and if find a way to make better. If not we will be a 50% team this year and next year, then ANT will request a trade and we are a lottery team for the next 5 years....

[WolfAddict]

ANT BBIQ is pretty low. As long as Finch does not make a huge job of improving that, he will remain a 30% clutch guy. Happy tonight by Rob, play well and make others players involved.
ANT last 3 min were just awful, TO, brick 3..... and our second star is Randle . If we make the play-in we will be lucky. As i say for weeks, if no trade coming, we are at best a play-in with 2nd round potential play-off if lucky....
TC make 2 huge mistakes, Trading KAT for Randle and resign Rudy.... hope his EGO don't make him blind and if find a way to make better. If not we will be a 50% team this year and next year, then ANT will request a trade and we are a lottery team for the next 5 years....

You've been one of the most positive posters on these boards I've seen, so it's a damn shame what this team has done to your optimism.

I 100% agree with everything you've written.

[WolfAddict]

Dilly had a great game and I actually has no problem with Finch pull him. He played 17 mins which is close to his limit right now. I think 20 mins is the most you want to play him.

Dilly had been killing it this game - I would've loved to see him close the game out, but can understand why a coach would lean towards the experienced route, even if I didn't agree with it at the time

[FrenchMinnyFan]

Dilly had a great game and I actually has no problem with Finch pull him. He played 17 mins which is close to his limit right now. I think 20 mins is the most you want to play him.

I agree but not on the last possessions. We need a 2 and Rob speed could have give us that. Instead of that, we throw the ball in the ANT hands who try a near impossible shoot being double by Bane and JJJ. For me put ROB and Mike passing the ball would have create more options, Could use Rob speed, NAZ 3.... The point is that Finch is scare for his a... and let ANT do the same mistake game after game...this is on Finch for me, not on ANT.

[TimberKat]

Dilly had a great game and I actually has no problem with Finch pull him. He played 17 mins which is close to his limit right now. I think 20 mins is the most you want to play him.

I agree but not on the last possessions. We need a 2 and Rob speed could have give us that. Instead of that, we throw the ball in the ANT hands who try a near impossible shoot being double by Bane and JJJ. For me put ROB and Mike passing the ball would have create more options, Could use Rob speed, NAZ 3.... The point is that Finch is scare for his a... and let ANT do the same mistake game after game...this is on Finch for me, not on ANT.

It doesn't matter who you have in, if the ball touches Ant's hand, he would not let go of it. But agree that you want all your best scorers in there for the last few seconds.

[Loaf_of_bread]

...I don’t like stating i was 2 steps ahead, but there will be an ultimatum that TC or whoever is our gm will have to decide..

Finch or ANT.

Pretty easy decision.

[Guidus88]

With Gobert, Randle, McD and Conley our spacing sucks. Even though Ant is constantly being doubled or tripled, he's still having an efficient season overall.
Haven't we learned the lesson from KAT? Stop undermining our franchise players. We need to use them in a way that maximizes their strengths and hides their weaknesses.